


A Fate Worse than Death

by HydraNoMago



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chocobros - Freeform, Cinnamon rolls, Day 4, Enemies, M/M, Missing, Oneshot, The Prince - Freeform, Warring Kingdoms, Writing Prompt, and the prince, ffxv week, keep your friends close but your enemies closer, mama ignis, papa gladio, slight promtis/nocto, theory, villain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 02:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7416325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HydraNoMago/pseuds/HydraNoMago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What the hell do you think you're doing Prompto?” His voice was red hot with anger, but it retained some hope, some wish for them to turn back. </p><p>The blond smiled ruefully at him. “Oh I don't know, Prince Noctis. You tell me.” </p><p>It hurt to know what Prompto did, and it hurt even more that he couldn't do a thing about it. The big question now is, will he be able to kill the one he loves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fate Worse than Death

**Author's Note:**

> Written for # ffxv week on tumblr!
> 
> Day 4 (writing prompt) : Keep your friends close and your enemies closer ; One of them is missing 
> 
> This was written with lots of tea, imagination gone wild and a want to simply our darling little Prompto as the enemy. Also, slight Promptis/ Nocto stuff. Also, poor Noctis. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“ _ **Sometimes, people can go missing right before our very eyes. Sometimes, people can discover you, even though they've been looking at you the entire time. Sometimes, we lose sight of ourselves when we're not paying enough attention. Anyway, it doesn't matter how much, how often, or how closely you keep an eye on things because you can't control it. Sometimes things and people just go. Just like that.”**_

~ Cecelia Ahern

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

**A Fate Worse than Death**

 

They are going down the road, driving to the same destination in mind as when they have first set off. They are the same yet they are quite different as compared to then, a minor contradiction. Ignis is driving the regalia, hands steady on the steering while, eyes resolutely staring ahead. Gladio sits beside him, back tense and ready to go just in case the enemy decides to attack them now. He himself is seated behind the passenger seat, chin in hand, watching the mundane scenery fly pass them in swirls of colours.

 

It is quiet in the car save for the purr of the engine, the crunch of tires on the gravel. The radio is turned off, not playing any merry tunes; there are naught sounds of bickering amongst the fours, instead a heavy atmosphere hangs like a cloud between them, palpable enough to be cut with a knife. Warily he shifts his eyes to the now empty passenger seat in front of him, making his heart wrench painfully in his chest cavity.

 

“ _What the hell do you think you're doing Prompto?” His voice was red hot with anger, but it retained some hope, some wish for them to turn back._

 

_The blond smiled ruefully at him. “Oh I don't know, Prince Noctis. You tell me.”_

 

He screws his eyes shut tightly, focusing hard on the images being played in his mind. Mainly of Prompto, his best friend. So he doesn't understand, cannot possibly start to comprehend why said friend would put a bullet through his arm, standing above him with eyes dead as a fish's, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. He vaguely remembers the sensation of pain shooting up his arm, but it could never compare to the way his heart felt, bloody and bruised and full of hurt. It stole his breath, made him dizzy and not in a good way.

 

He opens his eyes again, this time to the sound of Gladio's calls. They have reached a pit stop, somewhere to restock on their food and do some light maintenance on their regalia. As usual, Ignis goes in to bargain, Gladio takes a look at their car. This time, he waits in the shadows cast by the buildings alone with no one to accompany him.

 

“ _Prompto, what the fuck...”_

 

_A laugh which sounded more like a sob. “Oh come on Noct! Did you really think I'd tag along with you for this whole crazy ride out of my own free will?”_

 

_His head spins. “You're telling me you didn't?”_

 

“ _Pfft, of course not!” He toys with the gun in his hand, careless and reckless like he always is. Though this time there is an aura of danger around him. “How stupid can you get? I mean, who would want to be friends with a piece of shit like you?”_

 

And that hurt. It really hurt. He thought Prompto was his friend, had treated him as such for years, ever since that fateful day in high school. He took him into his confidence, shared practically everything with him. The blond was also very trustworthy, was loyal and willing to risk his life to protect him, was sunny and cheerful, was precious to him and vice versa. Or so he thought.

 

“ _You know what they say Noct, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”_

 

Obviously it was all one-sided. A misunderstanding on his part, a poorly made decision in who to place his faith in. He leans onto the dirty wall, slides down it until he is sitting on the dusty ground, arms curled around his knees and head buried in the space between them. He paces his breathing, wanting all this to be a bad dream, something which he will eventually awake from. Yet this is the reality he is living in, this is his life.

 

“ _Noctis! Are you okay?”_

 

_He hears the shouts of his friends, sees the both of them right outside the translucent blue barrier, scowling at the Niflheim guards, weapons at the ready. “Ignis... Gladio...”_

 

_A clicking of the tongue as the other party brandishes his gun, pointing it straight at his forehead. “Now, now don't be too hasty you two!” He releases the safety. “One wrong move and I'll blast pretty boy's brains out!”_

 

_It was repulsive, the way this man carried himself the way Prompto did, looked like him and spoke like him. This man wasn't Prompto._

 

_He cocked his head at him, all the while smirking in a feline manner. “Consider this a warning, prince.” The blond leans down, grabs a chunk full of his hair and brings him up to his level. He winces in pain and claws at the hand. Prompto just smiles. “Stop whatever you're doing right now. Abandon this silly little mission of yours. Because if you don't,well, let's just say Niflheim folks are not so lenient.”_

 

_Anger boils in the pit of his stomach. He spits in his face, satisfied when he sees the disgust there, hoping he can inflict more damage onto him. “Wow at least you hate me now, that's good,” the blond says and the bittersweet lifting of the lips he gives him is enough to still his movements._

 

_Abruptly he is pulled closer, can feel the other's breath in the shell of his ear, hear the faint pulsing heartbeat, smell his overwhelming scent. “Listen to me Noct, and heed my advice.” There was something in his tone which bred familiarity, warmth filled his chest. “Don't come after us anymore. I... I don't want to see you get hurt.” It was as if for a brief moment, the Prompto he has known all these years had come back to him._

 

_But as quickly as it arrived, so did it disappear. He was pushed roughly onto the ground as Prompto gave him one last smirk and ordered his guards to retreat. For now. After all, he was the heir to the Niflheim throne, no one could overthrow his orders._

 

He hits the dirt with his fist viciously, grunts as he bruises his knuckles. It would have been easy if Prompto were the enemy and solely the enemy. Yes, it would be painful to have that fact finally dragged out into the light, but this. This. This subtle care Prompto had shown him, the look in his eyes which made Noctis suspect that maybe they could still be friends. Even if they were at war, they were still friends.

 

It confused him to no end, whether Prompto was simply an enemy to be killed or was he a friend who needed to be saved. He ruffles his hair and exhales.

 

“Noctis, are you feeling alright?” It was Ignis, arms full of groceries. He thought he saw a certain blond skipping along to joy them but that was merely an illusion.

 

“Yeah, fine. No worries.” he answered as he got up to help Ignis.

 

The bespectacled man however could see through his deceit as clear as day. “If this is about Prompto, then...”

 

“DON'T!” He hadn't meant to shout. He hadn't. But the emotions swirling inside of him was like an unstoppable hurricane. He couldn't think straight.

 

Ignis presses his lips into a thin line. “Fine, though the fact is you can't keep running away from this problem forever.” He hands over one of the grocery bags to the shaken looking prince. “We'll talk after dinner.”

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner itself was a sordid affair. All were silent, the tense atmosphere never leaving them as each obediently ate his own portion of the meal. Noctis stared longingly at the spot where Prompto used to sit, about now he would be recalling the day's events in a dramatised tone. He bit on his tongue to keep from saying anything stupid.

 

They were the four temperaments missing a limb. Ignis is the phlegmatic one, always steadfast, thoughtful and tolerant, calm. Gladio on the other hand was quite the choleric one, extroverted, practical and task-oriented. He himself veered more to the melancholic side, introverted, serious, conscientious. Prompto was the sanguine one, lively, sociable, carefree and talkative. Without him here, they are an unbalanced group of misfits.

 

“So, what do we do?” Gladio was the first to break the depressing cloud, how brave of him. “If we see him again, what's going to go down?”

 

Ignis sighs and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “He is the enemy. Our mission is still to defeat them.”

 

“Correction: He is the heir to the throne of the enemy.” Noctis supplies, his voice hollow and the other two wince.

 

“It doesn't change the fact that we have to defeat him then,” the oldest crosses his arms behind his head. “As much as it pains me to say so, Prompto has to be taken down.”

 

Ignis stays quiet, pondering over the spoken words. He shifts his gaze to see a downcast Noctis, fingers laced tightly together. “I'm afraid you have a point. During battle, we won't have time to bargain with him.”

 

Noctis doesn't speak. He knows what the other two are saying is the right choice. In their situation, they had to consider all those who went agains them an enemy, especially so if it was the kingdom who destroyed theirs in the first place.

 

But this was Prompto. Prompto, who was childish and fun to be around. Prompto who likes to play pranks on all members of their team and takes pictures of their instant reactions. Prompto who loves chocobos so much he had practically begged Ignis to let him and Noctis ride on them. Prompto who sometimes told dirty jokes despite his innocent appearance which made even Gladio snort water out of his nose. Prompto who in battle would have his back. Prompto who never fails to praise Ignis' cooking mainly because there is nothing else better to eat. Prompto who has always been by his side, always been his shoulder to lean on when things got rough, was always the one who could make him smile during his darkest hours. Prompto whom he shared stolen kisses with under the moonlight, intertwining their fingers together when they thought no one was looking.

 

Prompto, whom he loved with all his heart.

 

“Noctis, do you agree?” Once again Ignis has snapped him out of his thoughts. Gladio is looking expectantly at him, waiting for the final decision that would determine their future fate with Prompto.

 

His throat was dry. “Prompto, he's not entirely gone.” Weird looks are thrown his way. “I mean, when he gave me that warning, it sounded more like... more like he was trying to protect us than threaten us.”

 

“You can't be serious.” deadpanned Gladio. “No offence but he tried to kill you Noctis. Put a gun to your head remember?” He tapped the side of his temple.

 

“Gladiolus is right. Noctis, this is a very dangerous mission as I'm sure you are aware of. And it has been made even more life-threatening with the appearance of the Niflheim army right on our tails and their leader who used to be one of us.” reasoned Ignis. “Who knows what information could be leaked out.”

 

The prince shook his head violently. “Prom wouldn't do that. I know he won't.”

 

Gladio exhales loudly in frustration. “You don't have any proof that he won't. He's already betrayed us once, who's to say he won't continue his tirade of trying to kill us off one by one?”

 

“I said he won't do that!”

 

Ignis and Gladio both looked wide-eyed at their prince who was now close to tears.

 

“He won't do that... I know he won't, because no matter what Prompto still cares for us...” He steels himself by clenching his fists. “I refuse to believe that all of it, all of those good times we had together were lies for him to spy on us.” He grits his teeth together. “Prompto has his reasons. And I intend to find out why.”

 

“Well said, my prince.” He blinks in surprise at Ignis' soft agreement. The other is pushing up his glasses, a smirk apparent on his face. “We all would like to know what is it exactly that our dear Prompto is hiding from us.”

 

Quite bewildered at the sudden change, he doesn't notice when Gladio sneaks up behind him and hugs him tightly for a noogie, all the while laughing like a bear. “That's our prince for you! He knows us so well!”

 

Noctis tries to push the bulky arms away to no avail. “So does that mean...”

 

Ignis smiles. “The next time we find Prompto, let's bring him back.”

 

“Yeah, and I can finally pay him back for your gunshot wound, and the damn slash he gave me on my chest.”

 

He has good friends, and so does Prompto. “Yeah, let's go find him and bring him home.” He hopes that the blond knows that.

 

* * *

 

 

“Your highness. Permission to relay a report.”

 

He touches the rim of his glass, now empty save for some red stains on the edges. Briefly he wonders how the other three are doing. “Continue.”

 

The messenger bows his head low as he reads from a tablet. “The three fugitives consisting of Ignis Stupeo Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia and Noctis Lucius Caelum are on the run and have been spotted at the forests near Arkhenklou. Frederick and his men saw them there and have tracked them to a cave nearby. They have surrounded the are in hiding and are awaiting your orders, sir.”

 

At the sound of Noctis' name his heart skips a beat, hearing that his friends are surrounded makes his gut twist itself into knots. _Stupid, I've told them to stay away._ He grips the stem of the glass so hard it breaks.

 

“Your highness?”

 

“Tell Frederick to hold his men off until I reach there. Await further instructions there.”

 

The servant nods. “Yes your highness. Will that be all?”

 

He speaks not but sends the messenger off with a wave of his hand, which the other readily obeys. As the door to the room closes he stands and looks out the window to the brilliant sunset forming on the horizon. He hoped that no blood would be spilled, red as the sky above him. A hope that he knew was futile.

 

He grabs his guns off the desk and slots them in their respective places before going out to give orders as the prince of Niflheim. _Please guys, don't be there, let this all be a mistake._ He isn't sure what he will do if they are. Doesn't know if his heart can take seeing Noctis there after what he did to them.

 

_Please Noctis, be safe._

 

* * *

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End file.
